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The Yours – Teenagarten

Hong Kong noise rock outfit The Yours return with their second full-length album, entitled Teenagarten. Recorded by Yang Haisong of P.K14 at Psychic Kong in Beijing, the second album is rawer, darker and more intense than its predecessor, yet maintains the band’s rich melodic structures and teenage angst.

The album opens with its title track, which reveals the band’s attempt to explore its heavier roots and sets the tone for the remaining tracks. “Winona’s Tattoo”, “Distorted Kross” and “K” form the backbone of the album, delivering colossal dissonances and sprawling soundscape. Dynamic vocal interplay continues to be one of the most distinguishing characteristics of the band, most notably with “Bad JuJu” , featuring guest vocals by Fuhan from Beijing dance rockers Queen Sea Big Shark. “Valley Kids” , a nostalgic ballad filled with layers of shimmering distortion, sees a softer side of the album. But the occasional calm can’t hide the rage underneath, the last three-song section, consisting of “Spunk”, “Death Rat” and “Pink Snoopy”, finds the band experimenting with more complex rhythms and structures.

The Yours’ sophomore release sees another linear step in their evolution; nevertheless, “Teenagarten” is by no means a progressive, sophisticated album. As the title suggests, the eleven-track album is meant to horrify adults and please teenagers. It is still very much a lo-fi collage dedicated to youth culture.

credits

released June 5, 2014

Produced by The Yours
Recorded and Mixed by Yang Haisong at Psychic Kong, Beijing, Dec 13
Mastered by Garnett Haines at Treelady Studios, Pittsburgh, The United States
All songs by The Yours
Vocals on “Bad Juju” by Fuhan, Queen Sea Big Shark
Drums by Nelson ko, Roland Li and Pie Wong